Dear Parents,
There are many ways we, as a school, acknowledge the accomplishments of our students; with rewards for astounding academics and Christ-like character. We also like to acknowledge the accomplishments of our teachers. One of our Blended Learning teachers, Mrs. Jennifer Calito, recently conducted a workshop at a state conference regarding blended learning and how to implement it in the classroom. For the past few years she has been working on her doctorate.
At a young age, Mrs. Calito knew she wanted to pursue her doctorate. In July 2011, she started the grueling task of the doctoral journey. After many late nights of writing and overcoming many obstacles in February 2016, her research proposal was approved! Mrs. Calito’s dissertation will investigate teachers’ beliefs towards effective technology resources in light of stagnant literacy rates in Illinois. “Currently there are only a small handful of medium to large scale research studies that have examined technology resources for literacy, and the results were not promising. Yet, schools continue to pour money into technology without knowing the best integration methods,” says Calito.
Mrs. Calito has found encouragement through her pastor and immediate family. Her husband and children have made many sacrifices for her to realize her dreams, and have never known her not to be in school. Her continued drive to finish is not only for herself, but also for her family. There were many times she felt like quitting. “I don't want to let my family down given all they have sacrificed." Her prayer is that through her endurance, dedication, and perseverance, that others would be inspired to accomplish their dreams.
My congratulations to Mrs. Calito for her accomplishments thus far! And I thank God for teachers like Mrs. Calito who are serving our students tirelessly with a missional mind, full of passion and steadfast commitment. May God’s many blessings be with Mrs. Calito as she continues her endeavor.
In His Service,
Bonnie Ho
